Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Details on today's early action budget bill

The House unveiled a plan today that takes another $340 million bite out of the current budget shortfall while maintaining current funding levels for basic education and Apple Health for Kids.

“One of our goals going into this process was to protect our children as much as we possibly could,” said Rep. Ross Hunter, chair of the House Ways and Means Committee. “We couldn’t save everything, but we really prioritized core services for kids.”

Hunter’s proposal includes $216.5 million in cuts and $123.8 in fund transfers. This comes on top of the $588 million cut last month during the one-day special session.

“This is real progress,” said Hunter. “The problem is getting smaller. We still have a gap of about $260 million to fill for the fiscal year that ends June 30, but taking this action now will mean taking fewer cuts next biennium.”

Levy equalization funds that help property-poor school districts are left intact, according to Rep. Pat Sullivan, House Majority Leader and long-time education advocate.

“These decisions aren’t easy for any of us,” said Sullivan, “but maintaining the current levy equalization was a high priority for our caucus. Schools all over the state rely on those dollars for vital education programs.”

Besides levy equalization, differences from the governor’s proposal include several safety net items. Apple Health for Kids and the Disability Lifeline are funded at current levels, and the following services are cut, but not to the level recommended by Gregoire:

State food assistance

Child abuse prevention

Prescription drug assistance for seniors

Community health clinics

Family Planning services

Mental health assistance

“There are still devastating cuts in this proposal, but in many cases we managed to stretch the safety net without breaking it,” said committee vice-chair Rep. Jeannie Darneille. “Our children, elderly, and most vulnerable people remain a top priority in this proposal.”

“The House recognizes our state has a real problem,” said Hunter. “Unlike the lawmakers in some states, we know it’s our responsibility to tackle it early in the session.” His proposal will be heard in House Ways and Means today at 3:30 and could be approved by that committee as early as tomorrow.

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